Fighting Against The Feeling
by greengrl
Summary: Kate can barely stand him, so why is she drawn to Sirius Black? Is it pity? Madness? Or something more....
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi, I have come out of retirement sort of to put up some new story which I found whilst sorting through some old files in my old laptop database. I wrote it around three years ago so its not exactly the sort of thing I would write now, but reading through it I thought it would be a waste if I didn't put it up so I am going to post it and add more to it as I only wrote three chapter to it when I first wrote it. Hope you enjoy. I will try and add something to some of my other older stories as well but not promising anything. I will post what I have written so far for this story which is four chapter. Feedback always appreciated as I like to know people are reading it. xoxox**_

**Chapter One**

**In the Beginning**

Kate Laurent stormed down the path leading away from the castle in a huff of frustration and anger. Her vibrant dark chestnut hair flew behind her joined with her robes as she rushed away from the ancient building. Her face scarlet with anger she could barely contain herself from throwing a full on childish hissy fit, stamping of feet and all. The reason for her unearthly anger was for one reason, or person, only. Sirius Black. Only he knew how to rub her exactly the wrong way. He would find something to annoy her with and then he would push and push and push until she was over the edge and bit back, which is exactly what he wanted. Just for a little attention, he would always say he wanted from her. He claimed a school boy crush on her and also said that it would be simply solved with a date with her. She of course refused everything and so his torturing of her increased everytime she said "no", "never", "hell no", "not in a million years", or her favourite, "not even if hell froze over... twice". This weeks cruel berating of her involved him teasing her unmercilessly about a 'crush' he suspected she had on a ravenclaw boy called Steven Grant. Everytime she and Steven were in the same corridor, classroom or even the main hall Sirius would declare to the entire world around that Kate was blushing, or ask people if they saw the 'glanting looks' Kate was throwing at the Ravenclaw quidditch captain. Steven Grant was in fact a very handsome boy, and Kate did in fact have a crush on him, and for Sirius to know this astounded her for she had only ever written her secret in her diary, she had not even voiced her secret lusting to her best friend Lily.

Now you must know, Kate was an unusually bright girl, but it had taken her five whole days to realise how Sirius had found out her secret and when she did discover how, or at least partly how she lost every patience she held whenever Black was around and snapped like an elastic band stretched to its peak.

"How did you do it?" Kate demanded as she grabbed Sirius by his collors and shoved against the wall. She was unusually strong Sirius found as he struggled a little then he let her push him and he smirked.

"I never realised you liked it rough Laurent. If I had known we could have played this game before." Sirius said smart mouthed and loud so anyone down the charms corridor, which they were in, could hear also. A couple of third year girls giggled stupidly and Sirius grinned charmingly at them making the girls giggled and run away blushing terribly.

"I know what you did, I don't know how you did it. Now tell me before I hex your balls into peas and your dick into a carrot." Kate said angrily her voice barely above a whisper.

"I have no clue what you are talking about beautiful, but if you want to take this fun rough act to somewhere quieter I promise to let you spank me." Sirius said lowering his voice to and putting his arms on her waist. She stamped on his foot harshly and received a wince from him that made her smile evilly.

"My diary. You read it. I want to know how, when, and what it will take, whether that means killing you and hiding the body, to make you shut up." Kate said her blood pressure pumping everytime she thought about Black reading her every personnel thought.

"I didn't read your diary, but I guess that means your little crush on Grant is true. Maybe I am just an amazing guesser." Sirius said pulling the innocent act.

"Don't fuck with me Black I know you did it. I just want to know how." Kate said shaking his collor a little bit. Sirius raised an eyebrow and removed her hands from his collor and straightening it a little.

"I think you will find a magician never reveals his secrets and neither will I. I just hope, that your ever lasting lonliness will somehow cease and let you live a life of love and happiness," Sirius said dramatically, he smirked then he sprinted off to catch up to his friends who had left him when the scene had started off. Kate just swore loudly. He had just quoted a line out of one of the lamest poems she had written about a year ago in her diary, when she was in her 'deep' faze. She wanted to kill him.

Now she was stomping around the grounds screaming and huffing alone, she felt pathetic but she felt so angry that she didn't care anymore. Her diary was still in her room so she knew he didn't have it but either way she knew he had read it. She sat and collected herself for a while. She had fully missed her charms lesson now but no doubt they didn't miss her. She often skipped charms as she found it fairly dull and overly complicated. She sat on a big rock crossed legged thinking of ways to get back at Sirius. Nothing came to mind though. She didn't want to punish him so much, she wasn't actually that viscious whatever her temper made you think, but she did want to show Black how much he had hurt her. She couldn't think though so just instead sat there. She heard someone come up behind her and turned and saw it was Remus. Although he was best friends with Sirius he was also best friends with Kate. Remus sat down beside her and crossed his legs also and looked out onto the view of the lake they had from their spot.

"So he totally crossed the line this time huh?" Remus asked.

"Yep." Kate replied simply.

"Anything I can say to make it better?" He asked.

"Nope," Kate said. "Just sit with me." She added. She leaned her head on his shoulder and they simply sat for a while. They had never had a romantic connection but were always very close. Remus always knew how to calm Kate down and Kate always did her best to comfort Remus at his monthly transformations into a werewolf. They had been best friends since they were around five years old, she was one of the few people to know him before he was bitten by a werewolf. When Remus made friends with the marauders and became one himself Kate was annoyed as she hated Sirius from the first time of meeting him, but Remus told her she was his best friend and nothing would change that. Kate loved him like a brother and the same love was returned.

Eventually six o'clock rolled around and they headed for dinner. They took their places at the table, Remus sat with Kate but in doing this the marauders came with him. Lily Evans, Kate's best girl friend came aswell taking her place on the other side of Kate. Lily was dating James Potter the leader of the marauders, to Kate's disgust, so James sat across from Lily. Sirius, bravely, sat across from Kate. He looked kind of different from earlier. Less cocky, he sat quietly. Kate looked down to her plate and there was a note. Kate looked around. No one was paying attention so she subtly opened to note. It was a small piece of parchment with only a couple words on it.

_Sorry, from SBxx_

Simple, yet the meaning was obvious. Kate looked up and saw Sirius with a mouth full of food, she rolled her eyes. He swallowed and looked apologetic, he mouthed sorry to make his point a little more. She simply shrugged and starting serving food. It was hard having your friends be friends with your ultimate enemy, and pain in your ass. But at times Sirius was alright. But after what he had done that week she was in no mood to forgive him so easily. The meal continued and Kate chatted with Lily about what she had missed in charms.

"You will never get better if you keep skipping classes Kate," Lily insisted in her classic motherly way.

"Yeah I know I know. Maybe I should get a tutor. Who is the best as charms in our class? Apart from you and James obviously, either of you two tutoring me would probably drive me crazy." Kate said jokingly.

"Hey!" Lily and James said simultaneously, James however sprayed his mouth full of mashed potato everywhere as he did it causes everyone around to groan and wipe his half chewed food off them. He just grinned mischievously and shrugged like a naughty boy, which he was really.

"Well I don't know who is next in line after us, you will have to ask the professor, I am sure he would be glad you back in class a bit more consistently." Lily said happy to help as always.

"Yeah I will do that. Only if it will get miss goody two shoes off my back for a little while," Kate said smirking.

"Hey!" Lily said again shoving Kate in the shoulder. Kate just laughed and carried on eating. Lily was in fact how Kate described, a goody two shoes. She had become headgirl, along with her boyfriend James. It was now the spring term of their seventh year, Lily and James had only gotten together because they were living together in the heads common room. Kate was happy for her friend, though it wasn't always a good thing for Kate. For Lily had kind of been in the same situation at Kate and Sirius were now in. A tirade of arguments and fights about petty things James had done to annoy Lily. James had however had grown up this year as he was determined to win Lily's heart, and Sirius, hadn't. It did mean Kate had to spend more time with Sirius though, she had always had to see him due to his friendship with Remus, but now her other best friend was going out with Sirius best friend it left little time for Kate to be away from Sirius.

The next day Kate took Lily's advice and went to her professor, professor flitwick was him name, a short dwarf like man with a cheery attitude. Kate walked into his office after knocking and him beckoning her in.

"Hello sir. I was wondering if I could possibly talk to you something." Kate asked politely.

"Of course, of course. Its nice to see you miss Laurent. Its been what three lessons since I last saw you." Flitwick said looking at her over his glasses. Kate blushed guiltily.

"Actually sir that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I was wondering if you could possibly help me get a tutor. I know Lily and James are too busy with head duties so I wanted to know who was third after them in charms." Kate said. Flitwick nodded and went over and fetched a parchment.

"Well this is an updated chart of the pupils grades. At the moment Miss Evans and Mr Potter take second and third place to another surprisingly." Flitwick said.

"Okay, well I will get them to tutor me. Who is it? I will literally take any help I can get at the moment." Kate said.

"Well I am not sure..." Flitwick said.

"Seriously anyone will do." Kate begged.

"Well its Sirius Black." Flitwick said.

"….Seriously?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Of Tutors and Giving Up**

"Black!" Kate declared loudly. "How did that pinbrained idiot get top grades?! Surely you must realise he is a cheating scumbag!" Kate added on in a louder voice.

"Now, now Miss Laurent there is no need to be rude. Mr Black is surprisingly good at charms, excellent in fact. He would be a good help to you in charms I think and I also think I will ask him personally to help you since you are so keen to get better." Flitwick said.

"No don't!" Kate ssaid distressed at the thought of Black helping her with her homework.

"No, but didn't you say you would take anyone?" The professor replied.

"Well... yes...but…. him?" Kate said.

"That's settled then, I will ask Black next time I see him for you. I will expect you in the library every Tuesday and Thursday evening at seven for a two hour session." He said.

"But sir..." Kate said.

"No buts. Goodbye Miss Laurent." The professor said before ushering his student out of his office. Kate couldn't believe her unbelievable luck. She knew it must be some cruel joke but the professor, evil little man that he was, had seemed insistent. She stomped huffily back to her dorm in search of Lily for comfort and a trip to the kitchens possibly. But she realised she had little to no time before having to head off to her first lesson which was transifiguration. She knew Black would be in that class but she also knew Flitwick had not yet told him of his future in tutoring Kate so Kate knew she could at least avoid that embarassment for this lesson. She arrived with a minute to spare so she walked in and sat at the spare chair next to Lily.

"Hey," Kate said grumpily dumping her bag on the floor next to her chair.

"Hey, whats up?" Lily asked innocentely, she smiled like an angel. Kate knew the look well, it was Lily's I am innocent face, which meant Lily had done something bad.

"Just that I have the stupidest most annoying tutor ever." Kate said.

"Oh really? Who is it?" Lily asked. Kate looked at her skeptically.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you know Evans. I know you know Sirius was ahead of you and so you therefore lied to me so I would end up getting tutored by that monkey brained twat." Kate said annoyed. "I just don't know why you would do it." Lily looked guilty.

"Well... I just thought if you spent a bit more time with him he would... grow on you. I mean me and James are together. I realised after time that James was only doing all those stupid things to get my attention and after spending time alone with him I realised he's actually very sweet." Lily rambled.

"Yeah whatever." Kate said sulking for her friends betrayel. Lily just shrugged as the teacher put the instructions on the board for the class. Sirius and James were in front of the girls and were talking in low whispers. Kate didn't pay attention though as she copied notes down and worked quietly in her private sulk. Though afterwards she did think it strange that Sirius hadn't taunted her at all in the lesson. But afterwards she figured he and James were probably only planning something mean to do to her in the lesson after. Kate went through the rest of the day quietly though silently dreading her supposed tutoring session with Sirius. She got all the way to ten to seven though without seeing him. She knew it was strange but she suspected a silly prank was going to await the session so she just awaited the humiliation with uneasy angst.

Seven o'clock struck and she was waiting in the library at the table nearest the door, so she could make an easy get away if needed. She waited for ten minutes then just as she had had enough waiting she heard her name called. She turned and instead of Sirius she was surprised to see Remus. He was panting slightly from running it seemed but he stopped in front of her.

"Hey K, I just have a message from Sirius," He took a breathe. "Yeah, so he said he's sorry but has quidditch practise and couldn't make it, but he says he will talk to you to organise a better time for next week. That okay?" Remus spouted off. Kate was just a little surprised. Never had Sirius ever passed up a chance, to torture, harass, or ask out Kate. But she just put on a relieved face.

"Thank good, I was dreading our two hours of torture. Want to escort me up to the common room?" Kate asked jokingly. Remus just held out his arm and they walked up whilst having a chat.

"So why do you actually hate Sirius so much?" Remus asked whilst they were walking.

"Why shouldn't I? He's so full of himself and thinks I will just fall into his arms." Kate said straight away.

"I know he's confident, but that's just his way of being. He acts confident to hide his insecurities. I think your constant rejection of him is starting to get to him a bit to be honest. I mean he is my friend and I worry about him." Remus said.

"I know its difficult being my friend and his. But you know I would never make you choose. But I do think you should give him a break. To be honest, I think he's given up on his idea of you and him being together now so I think your safe in that respect." Remus said.

"He's given up?" Kate asked confused.

"Well yes, he hasn't said anything but he seems to have moved on finally, I guess a guy can only take so much rejection," Remus said, he looked at her face to see her reaction and she immediately smiled broadly.

"Well good, it's about bloody time." Kate said as strongly as she could manage, Remus continued to convey her face as they walked back to the common room. They chatted though about school and Remus' part time crush on a pretty polite girl called Sarah, who he claimed he liked simply for the reason that she always smiles and says hello in a friendly way, which made Kate laugh at her friend. He always made her smile with his silly crushes and sayings to go along with it. When they finally travelled up the four stairs cases, eight corridors and two secret passage ways (only known by very special people) to get to the common room they were in full chat about things and they generally couldn't stop once starting. They entered the common room but barely anyone was there apart from a couple of second years playing chess. So they took their seats up by the fire and chatted quietly.

"You know, I always wondered why you and Sirius didn't get on better. I mean you two are quite alike you know," Remus said.

"What?! No we aren't!" Kate said outraged.

"But you are. I mean just cause you aren't that bad at school doesn't mean you don't take part in your own bad behaviour just like Sirius. I mean you have been arrested four times for bad behaviour! I mean last summer when I was at your house at that party you through remember all the things you got up to...." Remus said smirking.

"God don't remind me, and it wasn't four time, it was fifith technically, but the fifth time doesn't count because..." She was interruped by Remus.

"You still claim that that guy kicked himself in the balls. I know I know. But whatever I still think you are just like Pad'. I mean you both have great senses of humour, though you sometimes hold yours back around others. You both would do anything for your friends. You are more alike than you realise you know." Remus said.

"Well whatever Remus, it doesn't matter, he's hurt me too many times for me to care how alike or compatible we are." Kate said. Just as she said this Sirius entered sweaty and dripping from Quidditch practise, it was clearly raining outside as his clothes were soaking. He had his broom slung over his shoulder and the look on his face made it clear that he had heard the last thing Kate had said, Remus and Kate hadn't seen him though and so Sirius went upstairs and out of sight. He felt weird from what Kate had said, had he really actually hurt her feelings? He had always thought his prayful pranks were only there as what they were, playful pranks, nothing more. He did actually like her but he never liked to show it with girls, he was very popular with the ladies, they flocked him, but he didn't actually know how to get a girl who didn't want him back. But clearly he was going to have to learn.

The next day came with a sunny day which dried up all the rain from the day before. By lunchtime it was nice enough for Kate and her friends to go down to the lake and eat the lunch they had swiped from the hall. The marauders were all there minus Sirius and Lily also. It made Kate wonder why he wasn't there, he usually spent every waking moment at his friends sides, or at hers making her life a misery, maybe Remus had been right, maybe Sirius had given up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Giving Up**

Having had a fairly boring week the group decided it was best to plan some kind of weekend fun, so they finished all their homework on Thursday and decided to sneak out of the castle for the weekend. Hogsmeade was only a walk away through the right tunnel and they thought it would be fun to sneak into Hogsmeade on saturday. Saturday was not officially one of the hogmeade weekends as the week after was in fact due to James and Lily organising it that way but they decided to do this just for a bit of fun, Lily had needed a little persuasion but after a kiss from James she was all goo goo eyed and wouldn't have said no to him for anything. So Saturday rolled around and they all got up early, dressed and then they snuck through the school so not to be asked what they were doing with a little help from the marauders map, which the boys let Kate and Lily in on. They, all dressed in warm clothes because of the cold weather, traipsed through the school giggling naughtily as they dodged round the school, they narrowly missed the caretaker, Filch's, cat. But they dodged well and managed to get to the statue of a witch and her hump and they all quickly escaped down the shoot and into the dark tunnel, they iluminated their wands and wandered down the tunnel. The tunnel was dark, damp and smelt like something had died down there, which it very well could have. They all took turns in sliding down the tunnel, Lily slid down with James and Kate with Remus as neither of the girls liked the tunnel due to it being dark and constricting. They slid and gently thumped to the bottom where they stood and brushed themselves off. Sirius and Peter slid down afterwards and joined the others. They began the walk towards Hogsmeade. It took about forty minutes until they reach the end in which they had to climb out through the trap door in the basement of Honeydukes, the age old shop which was known for the best sweets in the wizarding world. James stuck his head through the trap door to check the coast was clear, a worker was bustling head first in a crate of Tret's Tickle Toffee, a toffee which once eaten makes the eater feels intense tickling all over their body. James quickly ducked his head and whispered " Shhh" to his friends who were talking quietly. They waited and when James heard the worker go upstairs James and his friends all got out of the tunnel and walked up the stairs quietly and snuck out the back door into the alley behind Honeydukes. Once in the town they made a few stops around the various shops until lunchtime. They went into the Hogshead. They were all in fairly happy moods so were chatting amicably about school and what their plans for the rest of the year were. James and the boys got into a passionate talk about quidditch, James being the seeker and captain of the gryffindor side was shown easily when he spoke of the sport, he clearly loved it. Sirius played beater alongside Frank Longbottom, but Remus and Peter never played. But were avid fans.

"I am telling you if Dresden just worked on her passes a bit more all the chasers would benefit, when she fluffed those two throws in the match last year we lost twenty points and even though you caught the snitch James we could have won by forty points more!" Sirius said. James snorted.

"If you ask me you should worry about that accidental hit as Charlie in practise when you knocked him out! If that happened in a match we would be screwed. We need a keeper Pad'." James said smirking.

"Yeah, yeah, that was an accident Prongs." Sirius said poking his tongue out at his best friend. Lily laughed at the boys immature antics. The boys started talking more about quidditch and the girls zoned out again.

"So," lily said to Kate. "Any news on that handsome Ravenclaw boy?" Kate blushed.

"No, he's going out with that Slytherin girl, _Fedora_." Kate said bitterly. Lily patted her on the shoulder.

"Oh I'm sorry. He can't be that bright then, going out with a slytherin." Lily said kindly. Kate looked up from her hands which she always began looking at when she was annoyed or upset. Sirius was looking at her curiously while half listening to his friends talking. He looked almost sad but when he saw her looking back he went back to talking to his friends as though he hadn't been staring. She thought it weird but ignored it as she assumed he was probably only thinking mean things about her and went back to her conversation with Lily, but changing the subject away from her love life.

The day carried on in much the same way. It got to six o'clock and they figured it was time to head back to the school as after six there was nothing they could really do in the village as all the shops and cafe's closed. The weather had turned cold with the first frost on its way as it was heading for november. They snuck in through the back door of Honeydukes and into the basement unseen, then through the trap door into the tunnel, just as Kate was climbing through she tripped on the step and fell into the tunnel twisting her ankle and crying out in pain.

"Kate are you okay?!" Lily called down.

"I think I bust my ankle," Kate called back. Sirius jumped into the tunnel and looked over Kate.

"Need a lift?" Sirius asked. Kate just shook her head.

"No I'll be fine I will just walk it off..." As she tried to get up she winced in pain. "Okay maybe not." Sirius offered her a piggy back and Kate jumped on, Sirius holding her small frame easily. As he carried her, he didn't try any of his usual funny business, casuals groping of her bum, slightly brush of the boob, nothing. Kate was shocked he was acting in such a humanly matter that she kept quiet and just let him carry her. The others followed chatting about the day, James and Lily were holding hands whilst James whispered something quietly in her ear. Remus just followed by Sirius and Kate chatting to Sirius.

They reached back to school and with the help of the marauders map made it safely back to their individual common rooms, Lily and James practically sprinting as they clearly wanted some "alone time". Sirius carried Kate all the way back to the common room Remus following near by. By the time they were chatting and laughing like they were all good friends, which they all were really. Kate and Sirius, although having arguments all the time, did care... even if one girl in particular was finding it hard to admit. They arrived back at the common room. For a time before they got there Sirius had pretended that Kate was a princess and he was her lowly servant and was still playing along in the common room. He placed her sitting on a chair and then kneeled and looked up at her.

"Me lady, is there anything this poor man can do for such a wonderous princess of beauty and charm. Fetch your slippers perhaps, or a beverage of your choice." He bowed flouncing his hand around dramatically. Kate just smirked.

"That'll be all for this evening slave boy. But you may carry me to lessons from now on. I hate that walking business. Its way overated." She said making Remus laugh. The boys sat down and they hung out in the common room for a while until Kate started dozing off and decided she was going to go upstairs to bed. The boys helped her to the stairs then she hopped up the stairs moaning all the way about how the step in the tunnel had jumped up and tripped her. Nothing her being clumsy or anything! The boys just laughed but Sirius kept looking up the stairs for a moment longer than was necessary which didn't escape Remus' notice.

"She's something huh?" Sirius said sighing.

"Yeah Kate's one in a million." Remus said looking at his friend trying to judge his expression.

"I think me and her are getting on okay at the moment. Its weird." Sirius said smiling.

"Yeah." Remus said frowning. "I can tell your look Sirius."

"What look?" Sirius said looking at his friend.

"The look that says you are going to ask her out." Remus said still frowning.

"Would that be such a bad thing? She might actually say yes this time." Sirius said smiling at the thought.

"And then what? You go out, you get bored and she's left more angry and bitter at you than before." Remus said. Sirius sat up at that.

"I really like Kate Rem'. I wouldn't do that to her. Thanks for the confidence _mate_." Sirius said starting to sound annoyed.

"Oh what you like her like the other fifty girls you chase sleep with then dump. She's too good for that Sirius." Remus said.

"So she's too good for me? But what? Not for you? Is this is? All this time you've wanted her and now I might actually have a chance you want to swoop in and save her from the big bad Sirius and sweep her off her feet!" Sirius said now standing with an angry expression.

"You know I don't feel about her like that! But it doesn't mean I will just sit by and watch you hurt her!" Remus said standing as well.

"Is that what you think?" Sirius said suddenly backing away a bit and quieting his voice. "Is that all I do? Hurt people?" Remus suddenly looked guilty.

"Not always Sirius. But Kate... I just don't want to see her get her heart broken." He said.

"I guess you're right. I mean all I do is hurt girls. You're right, you're so right." Then he left, not angrily but dejectedly as though he had just been told something he knew but was avoiding.

Kate stumbled into the dorm laughing still from her funny trip with Sirius. She was thinking of him more thahn usual but sahe assured herself that her feelings were only those of friendship which she felt she now had with Sirius.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

**Beaten**

Kate awoke the next day for some reason a smile on her face for no reason. She dressed simply in casual clothes and walked down to the common room to see who else was around as she seemed to have been the last girl in her dorm to have woken up at the late hour of twelve. On coming out on the bottom stairs she could tell there was something wrong as James was sitting miserably at one on the studying tables as if his favourite dog has just died

"Hey James, what's wrong?" Kate asked sitting across from him. He looked up at her and with a shocked look suddenly put on a fake smile.

"Nothing much, just marauders business." James said smiling again to try and convince her it was nothing. She knew it was something though and gave him a sceptical look.

"Don't give me that Potter, I can tell something is up." Kate replied smiling kinfly at him to let him know he could tell her.

"I just don't know whether I should tell you. It's about Sirius." James said looking torn.

"What's he gone and done now?" Kate said rolling her eyes at the mention of the boy.

"No, nothing like that, its family stuff. He had to go away in the middle of the night. His uncle died, and he was pretty much Sirius' only link to his family since he got kicked out and Sirius had to go for the funeral." James said looking sad.

"Oh right," Kate said feeling immediately guilty for her assumption that Sirius had done something stupid to cause James' weird mood. "Poor Sirius."

"Yeah, he had to go back to his family house, and let me tell you, his mother is not exactly easy going on Sirius. I'm worried that something will happen, his family are into some pretty dark stuff." James added.

"I'm sure they love him really, every family has problems right," Kate added, thinking of her own father and the times he had made her life a misery.

"No, his are different. He hasn't lived with them for a while now as he's been living with my family. He shouldn't have gone back." James said. "I tried to convince him last night but he got really angry with me and we ended up arguing." Kate nodded with what he said and realised James obviously was really worried.

"Well I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't have let Sirius go home if he knew it would put him in danger," Kate said.

"Dumbledore doesn't know he's gone. Sirius took the tunnel then floo'd from the pub in town to his house." James said looking more and more worried as the conversation went on. Kate looked distressed about this also. But was interrupted by an owl tapping on the window by James' head. He opened the window and the owl hopped in and dropped the letter in James' lap then perched on a chair nearby. James unrolled the scroll quickly and scanned it, his eyes squinted in confusion then in realisation jumped out of his chair.

"It's Sirius, he's back and in the tunnel. We need to go!" James said sprinting for the common room door.

"What's happened?" Kate shouted after him, and without a reply she jumped up and ran after him.

"James! What's going on?" She cried catching up with him. James didn't reply though and just tore his way round the bends and turns of the corridors leading to the witch's hump statue before practically throwing himself down the tunnel with Kate in quick succession.

At the bottom he scanned around calling Sirius' name but due to complete darkness saw nothing. He grabbed his wand and muttered "Lumos" and started searching. He ran down the tunnel and as the end became near a small lump seemed to be at the end when the exit was. It wasn't moving.

"Sirius!" James shouted speeding up and running towards the dark shape. Kate realising it was Sirius also sped up with James, lighting her wand so not to trip on anything before getting to him.

Sirius was in a bad way. He was barely unrecognisable in a heap on the floor, his face covered by his hands he looked helpless, though seemed to still be breathing heavily which James sighed in relief at.

"Padfoot! Can you hear me?" James said dropping to his knee's by his best friend and touching his shoulder gently. Sirius' head shot up in pain at James touching him and he cried out. At his uncovering of his face Kate gasped in shock. His face was covered in bruises and cuts so deep blood was still seeping from them. His eye's were closed practically shut from bruising and his lip were battered and cut so badly he could barely move them to cry out.

"Sirius! What happened?" Kate said kneeling down and trying to help him sit up. Sirius managed to lift his shoulders up far enough to sit up a little but as he did so his robes peaked open to show a blood stained white shirt beneath. Kate tried not to gasp again so not to worsen the situation. Sirius didn't seem able to speak properly so James motioned to Kate to help him to pick Sirius up.

"Mate, we're going to help you to get up then we need to walk back to the castle okay? We need to get you some help." James said, Sirius tried to say something but it just turned into a wince and he gave up. They slowly picked him up, and his legs gave way straight away. So he basically had to put his full weight on the two and let them drag him to the tunnel's opening.

"Go up, and I will levitate him up after you," James ordered. Kate nodded and climbed the tunnel and searched around to make sure no one was around to see them. With no one being around she full opened the hatch and Sirius floated perfectly out with James behind. Once out they resumed carrying him through the corridors, trying to avoid any students or teachers seeing them. Once they reached the turn towards the nurses office and took a left instead of a right Kate spoke out.

"James we need to take him to the nurse, he needs help badly." Kate said her back hurting under Sirius' weight.

"No we can't! He snuck out of school, if we take him how do we explain this without explaining how he snuck out. Sirius wouldn't want that. And he can't get kicked out!" James said desperately trying to make Kate understand.

"He could die James! He's bleeding so much!" Kate said, the distress she felt for him getting to her.

"You know medical stuff though, Lily told me you want to be a healer. Can't you care for him?" James asked desparately.

"I don't know! I don't know enough to help him now… he's too badly hurt." Kate said looking down at Sirius who had passed out and they were now fully carrying to wherever James was taking him. They reached a corridor where Kate had never been before and a door appeared out of nowhere in front of them.

"What the…" Kate was interrupted by voices coming towards them though and they dragged Sirius' body in the door and closed it quickly behind them.

"This is the room of requirement. It helps us out when we're in need of somewhere secret." James said looking around. A bed appeared in the corner and he motioned them to take Sirius over to it. They lay him down and Sirius suddenly awoke and cried out in pain and grabbed his stomach.

"Sirius mate, we're back now, you're safe." James said. Sirius just moaned in agony and James' eyes looked frantic.

"Look we need to see what's wrong with him, but I can't do this alone." Kate said. "Get Remus and Lily. They'll be able to help." James nodded.

"You'll look after him?" James said looking doubtful. Kate hesitated.

"Yes, I will. Now go." She muttered before turning back to Sirius in his sorry state.

"Sirius I need to find out where you're bleeding from. So I'm going to take your shirt off." Kate said blushing a bit even though it was such a serious situation. Sirius nodded and tried to sit up, wincing in agony the whole time. She helped him slip his robes off and then his shirt one sleeve at a time. Each revealing deep cuts and scars all over them. She noticed though that some of the scars were old and therefore this wasn't the first time this had happened. She eased off the shirt to reveal his stomach covered in bruises and lacerations as if he had been whipped violently. She recognised the curse used to do this and got out her wand to try and stop the bleeding from the most serious wounds. She tapped gently on his stomach and silently said spells to ease the pain and bruising whilst ceasing the blood flow. Sirius had passed out again from the pain, so as she did it she did not hear him moaning in pain anymore. James seemed to be taking a while to come back so she tried to see to some more wounds. His stomach was a little better with some of the main wounds tended to as best she could. Lily was better with charms like that so she could deal with it when she got there. Until then she got some warm water and a cloth which appeared from no where it seemed and dabbed at this face trying to clean the blood away. He opened his eyes at her doing this and looked up. When he saw her he looked surprised. He tried to speak but found it difficult.

"Sshh, don't hurt yourself." Kate said quietly in an unusually caring voice. He nodded and she carried on dabbing away blood. As she did this James burst back through the door with Lily and Remus in toe. They both looked distressed and on entering and seeing Sirius their feelings were obviously not appeased.

"Padfoot, what the hell happened?" Remus said rushing over. Sirius just looked up and shrugged as best he could before looking away in, what seemed to be, shame.

"Oh Sirius." Lily just said as she rushed over to him pulling her her sleeves and getting to work healing his wounds. James commented to Kate on doing a good job on cleaning him up so far and she just smiled weakly whilst looking down at Lily working wonders on healing him. Remus whispered a spell and ran his wand over Sirius body, the tip glowed blue over his stomach and his left ankle so a minute later Remus appeared a second later holding some skele-grow.

"I found this in a cupboard over there. I think Sirius has some broken ribs and maybe a broken or fractured ankle so he'll need this." Remus said pouring a cup of it and giving it to Lily. She gently poured it into his mouth, his gagging at the vile taste but swallowing it after a while.

Kate looked around and it amazed her at how his friends cared for Sirius. He obviously did something right to deserve such loyalty and caring from his friends. Lily did an amazing job at healing his wounds and eventually he was able to speak a little. James had been pacing the whole time he had been in the room and once Sirius was able to talk James hurried over to ask questions.

"What the hell happened Pad'?" James said. Sirius face was a lot more healed. One of his black eyes remained a little having been too bad to heal completely but his lips were healed enough for his to speak. Sirius coughed the first few attempts and then managed to push out some words.

"It was…. My good old family." He first said, Kate and Lily gasped but the boys seemed unchanged at the news. "After the funeral the will of my Uncle…" he coughed again, "Cyrus was read… the old nutter left me everything. My family went crazy, my mother started the cursing, gave me this beauty," he said motioning to his black eye.

"They're bastards mate, you don't need them." James said, his eyes ablaze with fury for his friend.

"Its not them… its just Reggie. He's getting dragged in to their extremist crazyness," Sirius said his face dropping even more at the mention of his younger brother who had been caught up in the black family curse of being power hungry and joined forces with a new dark leader who was slowly rising called lord voldemort.

"You need to worry about yourself at this point Sirius. You got pretty badly beaten up. They were trying to kill you." Lily said quietly pushing back Sirius' scruffy hair off his face like a mother would.

"I got away before that didn't I." Sirius said with a little bit of anger in his voice.

"Who knows what they would have done if you hadn't though Pad'." James said. Sirius just looked at James annoyed.

"Can we just stop talking about it? I'll be fine thanks to your help. I appreciate it but I just need to be alone. I bet I can walk now." Sirius said sitting up and trying to move his legs round. He winced in pain but continued to try and get up. He put his weight on his left leg and almost buckled over, Remus went forward to help his friend but Sirius waved him off and continued to try and walk. He managed to put more weight on his left that his right and he limped towards the door whilst everyone watched, no one wanting to argue knowing how stubborn he was, but always desperately wanting to stop him from hurting himself more. He walked out the door holding on to the wall for balance and left leaving.

His friends looked at each other with worry, not saying anything but they were all obviously sick with worry for their friend.


End file.
